Make the most of apples with these innovative dessert recipes by Mumbai chefs

Apples are one of several fruits that are in season right now and with a little imagination, they can be transformed into unique desserts. Photo: Smoke House Deli

Apples are one of several fruits that are in season right now and while they may be commonly available all year round, that is no reason to undermine the bright red juicy fruits sold at the neighbourhood cart. With a little imagination, they can be transformed into unique desserts. Especially by those with a sweet tooth and who love indulging the taste buds of people around them.

Chefs in the city are busy scouring the country for the best kind of apples to work into their desserts. Making the most of the season, city chefs are using a combination of apples from the Kullu and Kinnaur regions in Himachal Pradesh. Other chefs believe in celebrating not one but three different types -- including Granny smith apples (Himachal Pradesh), Ambri (Kashmir) and Red Delicious (Himachal Pradesh) -- in their signature dishes. If the Covid-19 pandemic has made you hesitant about visiting your favourite restaurants, whip up these mouth-watering, Instagrammable desserts while indoors.

It may not always be easy to get hold of a specific variety, but it can be substituted with types that are available around us. From easy recipes for beginners to elaborate ones for the experienced, city chefs share diverse apple desserts for you to test and enjoy this season.

Apple Pie by Chef Rachi Gupta, The Bread Bar, Chembur
Chef Rachi emphasises on spending time to pick the right kind of apples when baking a pie so that they don't turn to mush. Not too tart, the apples should possess the perfect amount of sweetness. "The true beauty of an apple pie comes from that magical interaction between crust and filling. One sweet, tart, and fruity, the other buttery and rich, they complement each other in flavour and texture and create a dish that is so much greater than the sum of its parts," she explains.

Ingredients:

For the sweet pastry:

Flour - 100 gms, sugar - 50 gms, butter - 50 gms, milk - 20 gms

For the apple compote:
Apples - 3, butter - 20 gms, brown sugar - 50 gms, cinnamon powder - 1 tbsp, nutmeg powder - 1 tsp.

Method:

For the sweet pastry:
1. Mix flour, sugar and butter together till a crumbly stage.
2. Add milk and knead the dough.
3. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
5. Roll the dough like you would a chapati into a 2.5mm thickness.
6. Line the 8cm round tart rings and refrigerate.

For the Apple Compote:
1. Peel and seed the apples.
2. Dice the apples into cubes.
3. In the saucepan, combine apples, sugar, and butter.
4. Cover and cook over low heat until apples are tender and add cinnamon and nutmeg and cover till use and chill.

Baking:
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
2. Cover the lined tart with chilled compote.
3. Then use the leftover dough and make thin 1 cm lines to make lattice and alternatively swirl them together.
4. Bake the apple pie for 30-35 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
5. Remove the ring and transfer to a cooling rack.
6. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.

Caramel Apple by Chef Freny Fernandes, Monèr - Bistro and Dessert bar, Bandra West
Experimenting with apples, chef Fernandes created an elaborate apple dessert, which also happens to be a signature at the restaurant. Sourcing them locally, she takes it a step further by shaping the delectable dessert like a shiny apple. If you have time on your hands and are looking to challenge yourself, it is worth a try.

Ingredients:

Vanilla Mousse:
Whipping cream - 775 gms, vanilla - 1 pod, Callebaut white chocolate - 172 gms.

Method:
1. Heat 1/4th cream.
2. Pour over chocolate and mix until homogeneous.
3. Add the rest of the cream and refrigerate.
4. Whip mixture to soft peaks.

Ingredients:

Caramel Apple
Apples - 600 gms, butter - 60 gms, brown sugar - 60 gms, cinnamon - 6 gms, vanilla extract - ½ tsp.

Method:
1. Cut apples into a medium dice.
2. Sauté all ingredients together until the apples are cooked and tender.
3. Set in a 2-inch sphere mould and freeze.

Cinnamon Streusel
Sugar - 100 gms, butter - 100 gms, flour - 150 gms, cinnamon - 1 tsp.

Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar just until combined.
2. Add flour and cinnamon powder and mix.
3. Rub with fingers to make pea-sized crumble pieces and freeze.
4. Press about 15 gms in a 3-inch tart ring to make a circle.
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 8-10 minutes.

Red Glaze

Sugar - 300 gms, water - 176 gms, glucose - 300 gms, condensed milk - 200 gms, Callebaut white chocolate - 300 gms, Veg gelatin/Agar- 22 gms.

Method:

1. Bring sugar, water, and glucose to boil in a vessel.
2. Add condensed milk and remove from heat.
3. Add gelatin to the mixture.
4. Pour over chocolate and blend.

Assembly:

1. Join the apple compote sphere to make round inserts and keep frozen.
2. Pipe the vanilla mousse in sphere moulds about 3/4th way and press in the apple compote inserts. Smooth out with an offset spatula.
3. Freeze for at least 8 hours and demould when ready. Place spheres on a wire rack ready for glazing.
4. Heat the glaze to 40 degrees Celsius and pour over frozen spheres.
5. Transfer the spheres directly over the cinnamon streusel base.

Apple Pie by Chef Rollin Lasrado, city chef, Smoke House Deli, across all outlets
Sourcing their apples from the orchards in the Kullu and Kinnaur regions in Himachal Pradesh, chef Lasrado says the fruit is specifically picked from the Kinnaur region by them because they have a greater level of sweetness and juiciness due to the altitude that they are grown at, ultimately leading to a better shelf life. While they use them in many dishes, it works perfectly well in their version of the traditional apple pie.

Ingredients:

For sweet paste
Butter - 125 gms, icing sugar - 100 gms, maida - 250 gms, milk - 50 ml.

For filling
Red apples - 500 gms, green apples - 300 gms, brown sugar - 150 gms, butter - 100 gms, cinnamon powder - 5 gms, soaked raisin - 50 gms

For glaze
Milk - 30 gms, caster sugar - 30 gms

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a pie mould measuring 8 inches in diameter having a removable bottom.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, icing sugars, butter, and milk to make a firm dough. Make sure it's chilled before using. When fully chilled, cut the dough into 2 parts - the first one measuring about 2/3rd, and the second one measuring 1/3^rd.
3. Roll out 2/3rd of the dough to about 0.5 cm thickness, slightly bigger than the pie mould and put into the bottom and up the sides of the pie mould. Roll out the other 1/3rd and cut into 1cm thick strips to use as garnish for the pie.
4. Peel and dice apples to perfection. In a saucepan, caramelise the sugar, add a bit of butter with apples, toss them in a high flame until they're well combined. Add in a dash of cinnamon powder and soaked raisins. Cool this slightly.
5. Evenly pour the apple mixture over the crust. Arrange the thin strip on top of the apple pie in a lattice design or any design of your choice.
6. Dissolve the sugar in the milk and glaze the lattice with it.
7. Bake this for 35-45 minutes, until the edges and top turn into a rich deep golden brown colour. Let the pie cool completely before releasing it from the pan. Serve the apple pie warm or at room temperature, add ice cream to create a variation in the flavour.

Vegan Spiced Apple Pie Crostini by Aadishree Chury, head, Foodhall Cookery Studio, Santacruz West
A perfect option for vegans and one that innovates with the apple pie, this vegan apple pie crostini may not be a traditional dessert but is definitely one to try out since many are still working from home. Chury says, "I prefer using equal parts of Granny Smith apples (Himachal Pradesh) and Ambri (Kashmir) or Red Delicious (Himachal Pradesh) in this recipe. The freshness and tartness of the Granny smith apples perfectly balance the sweetness of Ambri or Red Delicious."

Ingredients:
Long French baguette - 1, sliced 1-inch thick, olive oil - 1 tbsp

Spiced apple and chia seed Jam
Apples, peeled and finely chopped - 2 cups, water - 2 cups, date paste - ½ cup, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice - 1 ½ tbsp, chia seeds - 1 tbsp, ground cinnamon - 1 tsp, ground cloves - 1/4 tsp, ground nutmeg - 1/4 tsp.

Cashew cream cheese
Raw cashews, soaked - 1 cup, olive oil - 1 Tbsp, juice of a lemon - 1-2 tbsps, apple cider vinegar - 1/2 tsp, sea salt - 1/4 tsp.

Garnish:
Apples, granola, edible flowers, toasted nuts.

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Place slices of baguette flat onto your baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
3. To make the spiced apple pie jam, add the apples, water, date paste, apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to a pot and bring to a hard boil, then continue to boil for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and add the chia seeds.
5. Allow the jam to cool completely. This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
6. To make the cashew cream cheese, add all ingredients into a blender and blend until it becomes smooth and creamy. If required, adjust the consistency using a little water or lemon juice. Set aside.
7. To assemble the Spiced Apple Pie Crostini, pipe or spread the vegan cream cheese onto each slice.
8. Add the jam.
9. Repeat until all crostinis are made. Garnish with thinly sliced fresh apples, granola, toasted nuts, edible flowers, if desired.

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